This is the first of a few summer beach reads for me, without actually making it to the beach. It has a little something for everyone — an interesting mystery with a few small twists (more Murder, She Wrote than Sherlock Holmes), an assorted group of compelling characters, family drama, and a teensy bit of romance to smooth out the edges.
So yes, I am a sucker for a story set in the beautiful low country of South Carolina, especially when the cast of characters has more than just a few quirky habits and some funky first names. This book put me in the happy place of Fried Green Tomatoes with a hint of trouble to keep me interested. It’s not all sweetness and light — there are some difficult subjects broached here, but they are handled in a gentle and straightforward manner. My only complaint is that the minor characters were sometimes more interesting than the protagonists — and there were no real surprises in how everything turns out, things did occasionally feel a little cookie cutter. Having said that, I would also say, Who cares?! White’s Carolina is evoked in luscious detail; not such a bad place to spend a day or two if you can’t make it to the beach. So grab a nice big glass of sweet tea, fluff up the pillows on your favorite couch, and enjoy a little stay-cation with the Heyward family.
3
